Human factor in poverty alleviation initiatives: A lesson from a study on three growth centres in Kedah, Malaysia

• Main Author: Hassan, Kalthum
• Format: Book Section
• Language: English
• Published: Universitas Islam Riau Indonesia 2010
• Subjects: HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform
• Online Access: http://repo.uum.edu.my/2696/1/KALTHUM.pdf; http://repo.uum.edu.my/2696/

The study has taken placed in three selected growth centres in north Kedah. In Malaysia, the growth centres are developed in selected small towns or villages located in remote areas. The centres are upgraded and equipped with basic urban infrastructures to attract small and medium industrial investments. The development activities taking place in the growth centres are predicted to contribute economic opportunities to the surrounding village residents. The study is guided by selected development theories, with modernization theory used as the main evaluative framework as it addresses both the social and economic changes triggered by development. Both qualitative and quantitative methods and analysis are used in this research to obtain the data to answer the research questions. The study discovers various physical and personal factors that prohibit some poor households from receiving the benefits provided by development in the growth centres. The physical factors include having school age children; a lack of skills and low level of education; many dependents on one source of income, a lack of capital and support from family or household members and low productivity and returns and low wages. The personal factors include being unwilling or unable to take risks; low levels of motivation and inability to see the opportunities provided by the growth centre development. The research demonstrates that the ability and the willingness to participate in appropriate poverty alleviation programmes can signify the fate of future every poor household. These can be the roots of the problems that cause some of the poor to stay poor. Human resource management is a new aspect to focus in poverty alleviation programmes and development activities; which has not been the main focus of many poverty alleviation programmes. The findings provide new issues that need to be addressed by local policy makers in formulating new development policies.